Thursday, December 31, 2009

tor (tor) noun

1. A rocky heap on the top of a hill.
2. A peak of a bared hill.Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English torr.
Of uncertain origin: probably from Celtic
telecountdown

• Counting down towards the new years together over the phone (cell) when physically not able to be together due to distance or circumstances.

" Janny, let's telecountdown together tonight"
Trivia

What famous composer wrote the “Farewell Symphony,” which ends after the musicians leave the stage two by two until only two violinists remain?

• Franz Joseph Haydn.

Holiday

• New Year's Eve

Today in History

• light bulb: was first demonstrated by inventor Thomas Edison, in Menlo Park, New Jersey (1879)
• Times Square: Waterford crystal ball dropped for the first time in celebration of New Year's Eve (1907)
• farthing: British coin in use since the 13th century ceased to be legal tender (1960)
• Panama Canal: waterway that connects the Caribbean with the Pacific was handed over to Panama by the US in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties (1999)

Today's Birthdays

• Jacques Cartier (1491-1557): explorer of North America
• Henri Matisse (1869-1954): French painter, leading Fauvist
• Simon Wiesenthal (1908-2005): Nazi hunter
• Connie Willis (64): author of The Doomsday Book
• Donna Summer (61): disco queen; other musicians born on this date include Jules Styne(1905-1994), John Denver (1943-1997), Peter Quaife (66), Burton Cummings (62), Tom Hamilton (58), Scott Ian (46) and Joe McIntyre (37)
• Val Kilmer (50): actor, Batman Forever, the new Knight Rider's voice of KITT; also, actors Anthony Hopkins (72), Tim Considine (69), Sarah Miles (68), and Ben Kingsley (66), Tim Matheson (62), Joe Dallesandro (61), James Remar (56), Bebe Neuwirth (51), Don Diamont (47) and Gong Li (44)